Victor Martinez News: Pro Sports Daily

Victor Martinez has given Red Sox more than what they bargained for

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October 6

Boston Herald

"Here's what the Red Sox [team stats] knew they were getting when they acquired Victor Martinez: a switch-hitting catcher with a middle-of-the-order presence. But here's why the July 31 deal with Cleveland was such a home run: for all the things they didn't know. If there's an untold story of Martinez's first two months in Boston, it's what he has meant to the team behind the scenes, out of the prying eyes of the media and fans. Through the organic process that separates clubhouse leaders from followers, Martinez has emerged as the former to an extent that even the Red Sox could not have foreseen. In many respects, he is making this his team. "As he goes, we go," said starter Paul Byrd, a ..."

Power surge

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October 3

Boston Globe

"With the Indians in town, and Victor Martinez now on the home side of Fenway Park, Dustin Pedroia and manager Terry Francona decided to provide Martinez with a little aid. As Martinez told the story yesterday, "They were joking on me. They told me, 'Remember, you're on this side now. Just to let you know, after the third out, don't run that way. You've got to run this way.' '' Not that Martinez was in any danger of forgetting, especially after last night's 6-2 victory by the Red Sox, in which Martinez went 2 or 4 with and RBI."

Victor Martinez likes situation

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October 3

Boston Herald

"Barely two months after getting traded from his career-long home with the Cleveland Indians, Victor Martinez had been warned about this series. "(Thursday, Dustin) Pedroia and Tito Francona, they were joking to me, 'Remember, you're on this side now. After the third out, don't run that way, you've got to run this way,' " Martinez joked before last night's 6-2 Red Sox win. Martinez said it has been "weird" to watch his former teammates come into Fenway Park to play out the string. Just two seasons ago, the Indians and Red Sox met in the American League Championship Series. Martinez has nothing but fond feelings for his ex-teammates, but he's happy to be with the Sox. "The big thing is this ..."

Needed in a pinch, then lost in a flash

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September 28

Boston Globe

"For nearly one month, Victor Martinez built the longest hitting streak of his career. In an instant - one pinch-hit at-bat, one scorer's ruling - it was gone. Martinez had his 25-game hitting streak end the hard way yesterday. Left out of the starting lineup for needed rest, he hit for Jason Varitek with one on and one out in the ninth inning of a 4-2 game. Martinez reached on an error by Robinson Cano, a potentially close call the Red Sox do not plan on appealing, according to a team spokesperson. During the streak, Martinez maintained that he did think about it. Martinez neither took issue with the ruling nor having to protect his hitting streak with the benefit of just one at-bat."

Martinez has taken on leading role

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September 28

Boston Herald

columnist Steve Buckley

"Red Sox manager Terry Francona didn't need to do much arm-twisting to get Victor Martinez out of the lineup for yesterday's series finale against the Yankees. "When he accepts a day off," Francona said, "I know he needs it. . . . He didn't fight me, so I know it's a good idea." The decision actually was made Saturday, when, Martinez recalled, "Tito came up to me and asked me about sitting. And I said, 'Why not?' " Since being acquired from the Cleveland Indians on July 31, Martinez has played in 49-of-53 games, hitting .335 with seven home runs and 35 RBI. His hitting streak, which ended at 25 games when he pinch hit and reached on an error, was the longest active streak in the majors as ..."

Martinez gets dished another assignment

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September 24

Boston Globe

"The last time Victor Martinez caught Josh Beckett, it didn't quite go as planned. Jason Varitek had been a late scratch in Toronto, and Martinez was thrown into his first start with the Sox ace at the last minute. The duo bombed, with Beckett allowing seven runs in 5 1/3 innings, though the Sox eventually pulled out the win. Since then, Varitek was behind the plate in each of Beckett's starts, following manager Terry Francona's initial plan that Varitek would catch Beckett and Jon Lester, even after Martinez's arrival. Then Lester's starts began to fall to Martinez. And yesterday, Martinez's name was in the lineup for a Beckett start for the second time. Francona said the team is just ..."

In postseason preview, Victor Martinez catches Josh Beckett

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September 24

Boston Herald

columnist Sean McAdam

"For the first time since Aug. 18, the Red Sox lineup last night featured Victor Martinez catching Josh Beckett. Last time, it was born of necessity. Last night, it was done very much with a purpose. "Just trying to cover everything," manager Terry Francona said prior to his club's 9-2 win against the Kansas City Royals. "If we get to a certain point in the year, I just think we kind of owe it to us to be able to. I'd hate to get to some point in the season and go, I wish I would have thought of this. We've obviously thought about it a little bit. Just want to kind of cover all the bases." There's more to it than that, of course. This is not about late-season experiments or change for ..."

Youkilis (back) ailing; Martinez away

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September 16

Boston Globe

"Just in time to face the Angels - and the Angels' best pitcher - the Red Sox found themselves without their two most potent offensive threats. Their Nos. 3 and 4 hitters were J.D. Drew and Jason Bay, not exactly the punch the Sox were looking for in the series opener against the team they are likely to face in the first round of the playoffs. Kevin Youkilis spent yesterday morning at Massachusetts General Hospital, as doctors tried to determine whether he had a kidney stone."

Victor Martinez impenetrable

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September 14

Boston Herald

"Opposing runners are soon going to take note that it's not worth trying to score if there's a play at the plate against the Red Sox. Jason Varitek recently saved a game against the Blue Jays by blocking home on Travis Snider, and yesterday it was Victor Martinez' turn. Making like Reggie Lemelin by flopping to the ground and stacking his pads, so to speak, Martinez kicked away Gabe Gross' sliding foot to preserve a tie before the Red Sox beat the Rays, 3-1, in Game 1 of their doubleheader. "It was a play at the plate," Martinez said with a shrug. "I always use my legs to block the plate." This was more than just any play. With two outs in the seventh and runners on second and third in a ..."

Red Sox deal with success

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September 11

Boston Herald

"Victor Martinez' bases-clearing, go-ahead pinch-hit double Wednesday night against the Orioles was a foghorn-blaring, dinner bell-ringing reminder that the Red Sox are on a serious roll with their trade deadline deals. In two consecutive seasons - first with the three-team trade that brought Jason Bay to Boston and sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, and then with the Martinez deal with Cleveland - the team has hit paydirt. Both Bay and Martinez have been impact players for the Sox. It's impossible to imagine this team having any postseason shot without them. Of course, the Red Sox do business in the offseason, as well. Sometimes, it works out - hello, Josh Beckett and David Ortiz - and ..."

Cool customer

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September 10

Boston Globe

"Given how Victor Martinez has reacted in the past - the pleas, the text messages - Red Sox manager Terry Francona knew he shouldn't even take the chance. So, after alerting Martinez that he wasn't going to be in the lineup for last night's game against the Orioles, Francona added a message. "I told him I wasn't going to answer my phone,'' Francona said. "I said, don't even try.'' That was how Martinez came to be sitting in the dugout in the seventh inning, as his teammates loaded the bases with one out, with the Sox in dire need of runs in a tie game. No need to worry. This is where Martinez shines."

Victor Martinez in a pinch leads Red Sox

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September 10

Boston Herald

"A two-game breather for Victor Martinez was not in the cards last night, but a two-game sweep of the Orioles sure was thanks to the multi-talented slugger. Martinez' pinch-hit three-run double in the seventh inning off Danys Baez broke a 4-4 tie to deliver a 7-5 victory that sent the Red Sox into their off-day today on a high note thanks to their newest offensive threat. Martinez, who didn't start for only the second time since coming to Boston on Aug. 1, had not been keen on sitting in the first place. "I told him I wasn't going to answer my phone," said Sox manager Terry Francona about telling Martinez his plans Tuesday night, news that Martinez tried to talk Francona out of last time. ..."

Martinez is helping them to be victorious

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September 7

Boston Globe

"Victor Martinez is pretty much calling the games now, with an occasional glance at pitching coach John Farrell, a sign Martinez is getting comfortable with the Red Sox hurlers and at least planting the seed in the minds of the brass that he should be the organization's long-term catcher. Martinez yesterday caught his 18th game as a Red Sox since the July 31 trade that brought him to Boston. Even though he'd caught Cy Young winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee in Cleveland, he's always carried a stigma that he's average defensively at best, which is why he only catches part of the time and plays first base the rest."

Victor Martinez psyched for Fenway

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August 10

Boston Herald

"When the Red Sox open a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers tonight at Fenway Park, it will mark the first time the newly acquired Victor Martinez steps onto the field as a member of the home team. "I'm really looking forward to get back to Boston and play on the home side," Martinez said before last night's 5-2 loss to the Yankees. "It's always been pretty tough to play against those fans, so this will be different for me, and better. It will be great. They're going to be on my side." But while it will be his first home game as a member of the Red Sox, it will not be the first time Victor Martinez has received some love from Red Sox Nation. On the night of Oct. 21, 2007, the Red ..."

Hail to the Victor

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August 2

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Age: 30, born Dec. 23, 1978, in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela. Acquired: Signed by the Indians as a nondraft eligible free agent on July 15, 1996. Family: Wife, Margret; son, Victor Jose, 4; and daughter, Maria Victoria, 2. Career highlights: Three- time American League All- Star (2004, 2007, 2009); named Indians Man of the Year in 2004 and won the Silver Slug ger award for catchers; bat ted .353 in 2007 AL Divi sion Series and .296 in the 2007 AL Championship Series; holds the club sin gle-season RBI mark for a catcher (101 in 2004); ranks fourth all-time among Indians catchers with 84 homers; his 25 homers in 2007 is a team record for a switch- hitter."

Indians say goodbye to Victor Martinez

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August 2

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The Indians' pregame clubhouse at Progressive Field typically is quiet. It was especially so Friday afternoon - save for the sound of hands slapping backs. Catcher Victor Martinez said goodbye to his teammates, the Indians having traded him to Boston. Because rumors of Martinez's departure had been swirling, his teammates were not shocked. But the realization that the immensely popular Martinez officially was out the door hit hard. Martinez signed with the Cleveland organization in 1996 as a teenager from Venezuela. He had said he hoped to play his entire career with the Indians. "Any time one of your teammates gets traded, it's sad," Indians right-hander Jake Westbrook said. "And ..."

Rules of this swap meet create an unfair market

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August 1

Boston Globe

columnist Bob Ryan

"Sorry, but I'm not big in this trading deadline business. Don't like it one bit. I liked the old June 15 trading deadline, and even that was limited, because there was no interleague trading. And forget about all that bloated 40-man September roster stuff, too. If I were Czar of Baseball you'd come out of spring training with your team, and that would be your team, other than what you'd produce from your farm system. That would stop this nonsense in which the rich get richer, which is generally what happens in these matters. But this July 31 deadline is here to stay. In fact, many general managers want it even later. Hey, let's just let people load up on Oct. 1, why don't we? Or maybe ..."

Switch is flipped

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August 1

Boston Globe

"There were at least two other trade scenarios considered more major than the Victor Martinez deal that was consummated yesterday afternoon, but Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, while somewhat frustrated by those missed opportunities, will be content with the acquisition of one of the toughest hitters in baseball, who also happens to be a catcher. The Sox also swapped first basemen with the Braves, sending Adam LaRoche to Atlanta for Casey Kotchman. "We engaged, in previous days, we had some things working, things we were really excited about, and a couple that got really close, but didn't happen,'' Epstein said. "That's par for the course in deadline season. We shot big on a couple ..."

Sox land slugger Victor Martinez, also acquire Kotchman

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August 1

Boston Herald

"It wasn't quite a blockbuster, but the trade the Red Sox made before yesterday's deadline for catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez still qualified as a very big deal. The Red Sox traded a trio of young pitchers, including Justin Masterson, to the Indians to bring in the 30-year-old Martinez. The club also traded recently acquired first baseman Adam LaRoche and cash to the Braves for first baseman Casey Kotchman. Both newcomers are expected to be activated before tonight's game against Baltimore. The Red Sox value Martinez' positional versatility and hope he can inject instant offense to a lineup that has seen better days. "We're getting a middle-of-the-order, switch-hitting bat that can ..."

Martinez could be Tribe's next to go

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July 30

MLB.com

"Sitting at his locker stall on Wednesday afternoon, browsing text messages on his cell phone, Victor Martinez was not in a game situation. Still, he had to be wondering if he's on deck. Martinez had just gotten the official word on what had been speculated all day. Teammates Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco were on their way to the Phillies in another blockbuster swap that nets the Indians a package of prospects for a reigning Cy Young Award winner. The trade was the Indians' first public acknowledgment that the hopes for contending in 2010 are not strong, and general manager Mark Shapiro said ownership informed him that they will not commit significant dollars to further acquisitions this ..."

Indians looking for parties interested in Martinez

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July 30

Foxsports.com

"The Red Sox are pursuing Indians catcher Victor Martinez. But is any other club? Cleveland would love to see six or seven teams come forward and proclaim their sincere interest in the switch-hitting slugger. But there's considerable doubt as to whether that will happen before Friday's non-waiver trade deadline. The Giants seemed to be a fit, but they (apparently) satisfied their need for offense by dealing for Ryan Garko and Freddy Sanchez. The Rays preferred Cliff Lee to Martinez if they were going to complete a blockbuster with Cleveland. And for those still in doubt about how "available" Martinez might be, consider this quote from the news release that formally announced Lee's trade to ..."

Red Sox and Rays working on acquiring both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez

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July 27

New York Post

"The Rays and Red Sox are both talking to the Indians about deals that would bring them both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. Tampa is willing to part with touted pitching prospect Wade Davis. The Red Sox are not quite there yet in willingness to deal Clay Buchholz. Texas and Milwaukee also have eyes for Lee while the Giants are considering Martinez. The Phillies also are very serious about Lee. Philadelphia prefers Halladay, but one AL executive said, "We will not get to Friday at 4 p.m. (the deadline) and the Phillies have not added Halladay, Lee or (Jarrod) Washburn." So this executive said the Indians will probably wait until the last second to decide where to move Lee because they want ..."

Kazmir: from great trade to tough sell

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July 27

SI.com

(scroll down)

"Reports surfaced about the Angels' supposed interest in Scott Kazmir. But so far, no one with the Angels have copped to this. The Rays probably would love the idea of trading Kazmir and the $22 million remaining on his contract to free up some cash and make a real play for catcher Victor Martinez, or perhaps even Lee or Halladay. But Kazmir has seen his velocity dip from 96 mph to about 91 mph as questions arise about his work ethic. He's a very pleasant kid, and the Mets have rued the day they traded him, but his contract does not look particularly pretty at the moment."

Rumors flying on possible trades

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July 24

Akron Beacon Journal

"Whether General Manager Mark Shapiro is close to trading Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez or Carl Pavano is debatable, but the rumors keep flying. The Tampa Bay Rays appear to be a player for Lee, but the two sides are far apart, because the Rays won't part with the desired prospects, one of whom seems to be right-hander Wade Davis, a starter at Triple-A Durham. Shapiro seems to be willing to trade Lee only if he gets the better of a lopsided deal. If Shapiro was prepared to deal Martinez to the Boston Red Sox (and there is some deniability going on), that transaction is dead after the Red Sox's acquisition of first baseman Adam LaRoche from the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was speculated that in ..."

Rays join Red Sox in pursuit of Indians' Martinez

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July 23

SI.com

"The Red Sox have some company in the pursuit of star hitting catcher Victor Martinez, and it comes from one of their two main competitors in the AL East. The Tampa Bay Rays are now also considering a run at Martinez, league sources say. Like Boston, Tampa Bay matches up well with the Indians in that it has several very good pitching prospects. The Rays have Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson and several more quality pitchers at lower levels. It isn't believed Tampa and the Indians have exchanged names yet, but there's plenty there to interest the Indians. Tampa Bay is pretty protective of its young pitchers, though, and ultimately decided they didn't want to part with top pitching ..."

Indians shopping Lee and Martinez

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July 23

Foxsports.com

"The Red Sox's trade for first baseman Adam LaRoche should eliminate any chance of them trading for Indians catcher Victor Martinez. The Indians, however, continue to speak with clubs that are interested in both Martinez and left-hander Cliff Lee. "Things are changing rapidly," says one source with knowledge of the Indians' thinking. The Phillies, Rays, Brewers and Dodgers are on Lee, and the Rangers have expressed continued interest."

With Tribe trade talks sputtering, Red Sox deal for Pirates' Adam LaRoche

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July 23

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"There has been debate about whether the Indians have made Cliff Lee available as the July 31st deadline for making trades without waivers approaches. The answer is yes, but only for the right players. Major league sources say the Indians would trade last year's Cy Young winner if they could get enough pitching in return. Right-hander Clay Buchholz would be a good starting point, but ESPN reported Wednesday that after Boston turned down a trade that would have sent Buchholz to Cleveland for first baseman/catcher Victor Martinez, the Red Sox acquired first baseman Adam LaRoche from Pittsburgh on Wednesday for prospects. GM Mark Shapiro, by e-mail, denied that report. Boston, however, still ..."

Wedge thinks Martinez is near end of his slump

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July 22

Akron Beacon Journal

"What will it take to shake Victor Martinez out of a slump that has seen him bat .182 in his past 48 games? ''I feel like he's starting to come back,'' manager Eric Wedge said today. ''He's swinging a little better. He's had some tough luck, made some hard outs.'' What caused Martinez to virtuallyoff the face of the earth after batting .400 going into interleague play in May? ''He really had to work hard when Grady [Sizemore] and Travis [Hafner] were out of the lineup in the first half,'' Wedge speculated. ''So we have to give him some days off.'' The sad state of the team might have affected Martinez, who does not take losses lightly. ''He takes it personally,'' Wedge said. ''It probably ..."

Victor Martinez's 2-run double in 9th rescues Cleveland

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July 22

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The Indians reportedly haven't put Cliff Lee on the trade market, but with scouts from the Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers and Red Sox in the stands Tuesday night at Rogers Centre, manager Eric Wedge certainly gave them a long look at last year's Cy Young winner. Lee, with the Indians scoring twice in the ninth inning on Victor Martinez's double, came back out to finish the 2-1 victory over Toronto for his third complete game of the season. The scouts arrived Sunday to watch Roy Halladay beat Boston. They'll stick around until Halladay starts again later this week against Tampa Bay. Lee, meanwhile, could be an interesting alternative. Halladay is on the market, no question about it. If Lee ..."

A healthy Victor Martinez packs some punch for the struggling Cleveland Indians

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July 7

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"In late February, on a perfect desert afternoon, Victor Martinez hit two home runs in his first two at-bats against San Diego in an exhibition game in Goodyear, Ariz. They were as many homers as Martinez hit in the entire 2008 season. It was a good day, full of hope and promise, for Martinez and the Indians. The hope and promise for this season has long since faded for the Indians. A bad start, a worse bullpen and too many injuries have resulted in a first half where the roster changes almost daily, and manager Eric Wedge and his coaching staff needed a vote of confidence Sunday from General Manager Mark Shapiro to let everyone know they'd at least have their jobs until the end of the ..."

Victor Martinez will represent Cleveland Indians at All-Star game in St. Louis

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July 5

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Indians catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez was named to the American League All-Star team today. Martinez was not in the lineup today against Oakland at Progressive Field. He was the only Indians player who made the team for the game that will be played July 14 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. It will be Martinez's third trip the All-Star game. He went in 2004 and 2007. He was selected this year by a vote of AL players."

Martinez provides a welcome bright spot with lofty .400 average

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May 21

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Victor Martinez can't escape the fact that he's hitting .400. "You look up on the scoreboard and see it," said Martinez, the AL's leading hitter. Martinez is the Tribe's triple crown leader. He entered Wednesday's game against Kansas City leading the team in average (.400), tied for homers (seven) and leading in RBI (27). "The biggest thing is that he's really commanded the strike zone," said hitting coach Derek Shelton. "More so than at any time in his career, he's bought into the fact that he has to swing at his pitches. When guys don't throw his pitches, he doesn't get overaggressive." How locked in is Martinez? During the Indians' weekend series against the Rays at Tropicana Field, ..."

As Tribe keeps laboring, the trade talks keep swirling

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May 20

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Seven weeks of bad baseball have made the Indians the subject of several trade rumors. Boston reportedly is interested in Victor Martinez to help carry the offensive load because of a slumping David Ortiz. It's been speculated that the Mets may go after Mark DeRosa to help replace injured first baseman Carlos Delgado. Cliff Lee, last year's Cy Young winner, is said to be on several contenders' radar in anticipation of a deal at the trading deadline. GM Mark Shapiro is talking to general managers, but it's not about subtracting players in preparation for next year. "We're doing everything we can to get better for this year," said Shapiro. Said manager Eric Wedge, "I've heard that talk ..."

Indians' Wedge says Martinez, Shoppach will split catching duties

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March 31

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Manager Eric Wedge has two starting catchers in Victor Martinez and Kelly Shoppach. They're both going to catch, but where and when, for the most part, has yet to be determined. Wedge does have a starting point. Shoppach will catch Cy Young winner Cliff Lee. Martinez will catch Fausto Carmona. Carl Pavano, Anthony Reyes and Scott Lewis, the three other starters, are unattached. Shoppach gets Lee because he caught him almost exclusively last year, while Martinez struggled with a sore hamstring and right elbow that required surgery. All Lee did was go 22-3 and give the Indians their second straight Cy Young award winner. "That's self-explanatory," said Wedge. Martinez gets Carmona because ..."

Friendly competition for Martinez, Shoppach

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February 14

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Tropicana Field was nearly empty one August afternoon last season when Victor Martinez came out to test his surgically repaired right elbow by throwing to second base. Manager Eric Wedge was there. So were coaches Luis Rivera and Joel Skinner and a couple of reporters. One other person took in the session, while sitting in the Indians dugout. Kelly Shoppach, the catcher who blossomed in Martinez's absence, was there to cheer on Martinez. This spring Martinez is healthy and the two friends will be competing for the same job. It is one of the big storylines of spring training for the Indians. When asked about that moment on Friday, Martinez smiled at the memory. "Shoppy is a great guy to ..."

Victor Martinez is shaking off the rust to catch up

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September 1

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Victor Martinez is as rusty as the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz" after he was caught in the rain. In Sunday's 6-4 loss to Seattle, Martinez stranded six runners. He flied out to center with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and struck out in the ninth after struggling closer Roy Corcoran walked the first two batters of the inning on eight pitches. Martinez rejoined the Indians on Friday after being on the disabled list since June 12 with a sore right elbow that required surgery. He went 2-for-9 as the Indians 10-game winning streak ended in a three-game sweep by Seattle. "Victor's timing is off," said manager Eric Wedge. "It's going to take him time to get back into that ..."

Martinez improving and may be sent out

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August 4

Akron Beacon Journal

"If Victor Martinez's continues to avoid setbacks, he could be sent out on a rehabilitation assignment by the end of this week. ''Victor is throwing out to 105 feet and will progress to 120 feet Sunday,'' Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff said Saturday. After that, he will throw to bases. ''From a hitting standpoint, he did some soft-toss with [hitting coach] Derek Shelton. Early in the week, he is scheduled to take batting practice against the coaches, and by the time we get to Toronto [Friday], he should be taking BP with the team. He also will run the bases next week.'' That takes care of every test Martinez would have to pass before actually catching in a game. ''Optimistically, the ..."

Martinez plays catch, reports no problems

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July 29

Akron Beacon Journal

"Victor Martinez (elbow surgery) played catch on Monday and reported no ill effects. ''He's caught a couple of bullpens,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ''He didn't throw the ball back, but catching bullpens helps keep his legs in shape.'' Wedge wants to see Martinez spend more of the day in the clubhouse, something that many players on the DL find uncomfortable, because they are unable to play. ''I want him to come around,'' the manager said. ''He's one of the leaders on the club. I know it's tough for guys on the DL. They go crazy watching baseball and not being able to play it.''"

Surgery cleans out catcher's right elbow

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June 14

Akron Beacon Journal

"Dr. Mark Schickendantz performed a 45-minute operation at the Cleveland Clinic's facility in Strongsville on Friday to remove loose bodies (bone chips) and clean out Victor Martinez's right elbow joint. Martinez will begin the rehabilitation process today at Progressive Field. He is expected to be out of action from six to eight weeks."

Martinez to miss 6-8 weeks

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June 13

Akron Beacon Journal

"Add two more to the Indians' disabled list, which is becoming overcrowded with some of the team's best players. Besides Travis Hafner, Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook, the bloated DL now includes catcher Victor Martinez and second baseman Josh Barfield. Dr. Mark Schickendantz will perform arthroscopic surgery today at the Cleveland Clinic to remove bone chips from Martinez's right elbow, correcting a condition that has plagued him for the past six weeks. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks."

Cleveland Indians' Victor Martinez, Josh Barfield go on disabled list

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June 13

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Manager Eric Wedge said everything is hitting the Indians at once. He was not talking about the kind of hits they need to win games. Wedge was talking about the kind of hits that have turned the Indians disabled list into a high-rent district. Victor Martinez and Josh Barfield joined the disabled list before Thursday's game against the Twins. Martinez will undergo surgery on his right elbow today at the Cleveland Clinic to remove bone chips. Barfield will have the sprained middle finger on his left hand examined Monday by Dr. Thomas Graham in Baltimore to see if surgery is needed."

Hamstring still bothering Victor

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June 4

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Tribe catcher Victor Martinez didn't start Tuesday because of continuing problems with his left hamstring. He played Monday and went 2-for-6. "The hamstring grabbed him when he was hitting right-handed against that lefty [C.J. Wilson] in his last at-bat," said Wedge. "He swung good from the left side, but I didn't like the way he looked from the right side.""

Victor Martinez has lost power because of tender hamstring

June 2

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Victor Martinez has not used it as an excuse, but manager Eric Wedge said Sunday the All-Star catcher's offensive numbers are down this season because of the left hamstring he injured Opening Day against the White Sox. Martinez has no homers and 10 doubles in 168 at-bats. He did not play in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Royals. "Victor needs the day," said Wedge. Last year Martinez set career highs with 40 doubles and 25 homers. This year Martinez is a clean-up hitter with no power and a .351 slugging percentage."

Sunday is an off dayfor slumping Martinez

June 2

Akron Beacon Journal

"Manager Eric Wedge held Victor Martinez out of the lineup Sunday in the wake of a mini-slump that has seen the catcher bat .213 in his past 10 games. ''Victor needs a day off,'' Wedge said. ''He's fighting through everything. I think his hamstring is still bothering him, and his lower half comes into play when he hits.'' Does that account for Martinez's most astounding statistic of 2008: No home runs for the season for a guy who bats in the cleanup spot?"

Cleveland Indians catcher Victor Martinez can laugh about kicking bucket during Chicago White Sox game

May 23

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"When the bucket had been removed from his right foot and the game was over, Indians catcher Victor Martinez sat in the trainer's room Wednesday night alone with his thoughts. He glanced over at the next table, and there sat the bucket. It was the first time Martinez really laughed all night about putting his foot through the bucket in the fourth inning of Wednesday's 7-2 loss to Chicago after flying out to center field. That's not to say everyone else kept a straight face."